OVERVIEW: The Community Foundation of Greater Lorain County supports health, human services, arts and culture, education, youth development and community development in Ohio.
IP TAKE: The Community Foundation of Greater Lorain County was “the first Community Foundation in the United States to be certified in compliance with National Standards for US Community Foundations,” according to its website. It provides many different opportunities for local groups to get involved; however, because of the different requirements of its many grant cycles, new grantseekers will need to be on their toes to make sure their application window doesn’t close on them. Luckily, its online application process is streamlined and easy to navigate. Look over its recent 990s and breakdown of its grantmaking since 1981 to get a better idea of how this funder gives. Reach out to program staff with questions.
PROFILE: Established in 1980, the Community Foundation of Greater Lorain County (CFGLC) is a community foundation based in Elyria, Ohio. It is made up of hundreds of endowed funds that allow the foundation to invest in the local community through strategic grantmaking. The foundation aims to “work tirelessly with our partners to make our community the best and strongest it can be.” CFGLC’s Community Grant Cycles support four primary areas: Arts & Culture and Strengthening Lorain County, Education & Youth Development and Health & Human Services.
Grants for Community Development, BIPOC, and Women and Girls
The Community Foundation of Greater Lorain County has three separate grant programs, each with its own grant cycle: Community Grant Cycles, Affiliate Fund Cycles, and a Monthly Rolling Mini-Grant Cycle. Each of these supports community development organizations and improvement projects at different levels; however, most development grants are made through the Community Grant Cycles’ Arts & Culture and Strengthening Lorain County focus area.
Community Grants provide “general operating and project support for non-profit organizations serving Lorain County.”
Affiliate Funds seek to meet the needs of a specific subsection of the Lorain County community. Currently, these are:
African American Community Fund broadly supports the area’s Black community in education, health, the arts, and civic affairs.
Hispanic Fund supports projects and programs focused on education, social and physical health, citizen empowerment, neighborhood revitalization, and environmental issues affecting the community.
Women’s Fund supports nonprofits and programs that benefit women and children.
Youth Fund supports causes important to local students.
Mini-Grants award grants of $500 to local nonprofits. New grant cycles open at the beginning of each month and close when the allotted funds are exhausted.
Past grant recipients in these areas include Main Street Oberlin, Amherst Downtown & Betterment Association, Neighborhood Alliance, El Centro De Servicios Sociales, Catholic Charities Corporation, Lorain County Urban League, Oberlin Community Services Council, Pathways Enrichment Center, Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging Foundation, Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center, and Lorain County Community Action Agency.
The foundation also offers workshops, seminars, and initiatives to serve Lorain County’s communities.
Grants for Public Health and Access
Coupled with the health-related support for human services organizations, the foundation gives more grants to health than any other area. And while it gives to health groups through all of its grant programs, the majority of support in this area occurs via its Community Grants Health & Human Services focus area.
Community Grants make grants for operational and project support to Lorain County nonprofits focused on health and healthcare, as well as health-related human services.
Affiliate Funds seek to meet the needs of a specific demographic within the Lorain County community. Currently, the affiliate funds that support healthcare are: African American Community Fund, Hispanic Fund, and Women’s Fund.
Mini-Grants award grants of $500 to local nonprofits, including health groups. New grant cycles open at the beginning of each month and close when the allotted funds are exhausted.
Previous grantees include Family Planning Services Of Lorain County, Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, Lorain County Free Clinic, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Lorain County Health & Dentistry, MobileMed, and Mercy Foundation of Lorain County.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education
The foundation supports education organization across all its grant programs; however, some are more focused on education than others. The majority of its education grantmaking, however, happens through the Education & Youth Development Community Grant Cycle. Most of these education grants have gone to K-12 organizations, but institutions of higher education do see modest support.
Community Grants provide operating support and project support to local education non-profits serving Lorain County’s students and educators.
Affiliate Funds seek to meet the needs of a specific subsection of the Lorain County community. Currently, these include the African American Community Fund, Hispanic Fund, Women’s Fund, and Youth Fund, which is entirely focused on addressing issues important to local students.
Mini-Grants award grants of $500 to local education projects. New grant cycles open at the beginning of each month and close when the allotted funds are exhausted.
Organizations that have received education grants include Case Western Reserve University, Ohio State University, Lorain County Community College, Firelands Board of Education, Elyria Board of Education, Oberlin City Schools, Birchwood School, Educational Service Center of Lorain County, and Norwalk Catholic School.
The foundation also offers scholarships to local students and workshops, seminars, and initiatives to serve Lorain County’s communities.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Arts and culture does not receive the volume of grants that some of the other focus areas do, but CFGLC supports the arts across all of its grant programs, including its affiliate programs focused on a specific subsection of the population. However, most of these grants are made through the Community Grant Cycles’ Arts & Culture and Strengthening Lorain County focus area.
Community Grants provide general operating support, as well as project support, for arts and culture non-profits serving Lorain County.
Affiliate Funds seek to meet the needs of a specific subsection of the Lorain County community. Currently, the affiliate funds that support some type of local culture, arts and artists, and arts education are: African American Community Fund, Hispanic Fund, Women’s Fund, and Youth Fund.
Mini-Grants award grants of $500 to local arts nonprofits. New grant cycles open at the beginning of each month and close when the allotted funds are exhausted.
A lot of arts and culture grants go to historical and cultural preservation groups, as well as performing arts and arts education organizations. Past grantees include
Oberlin Heritage Center, Lorain County Historical Society, Amherst Historical Society, Lorain Historical Society, Southern Lorain County Historical Society, Brownhelm Historical Association, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra, Patricia Lindley Center for the Performing Arts, Elyria Arts Council, Harrison Cultural Community Center, and Firelands Association for the Visual Arts.
Important Grant Details
Grants range between about $1,000 and $75,000. The most common amount is $10,000. The foundation held $150 million in assets in a recent year. Grantmaking focuses on Lorain County, Ohio.
This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits for many of its programs.
CFGLC uses an online grant application system.
Each grant program and focus area has its own grant cycle and deadlines.
Preview application questions here.
Read through the FAQ before reaching out with questions.
Direct general questions to the staff at foundation@peoplewhocare.org or 440-984-7390.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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